Pokemon: Kaila's Journey
by Hikarusoney
Summary: The story of a pokemon trainer named Kaila, and her bet with a boy named Jake. They have four months to prepare for their battle, and the cost of losing for both of them is dire. Is their rivalry worth ruining their lives? OC Couple.
1. Chapter 1

**Pokemon FireRed: Kaila's Journey**

**A/N: This is my second Pokemon story, and this one is definitely going to be focused on the gym challenges more than a separate story line.**

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><p>"EH? What do you mean Squirtle's gone?" Kaila Joy shrieked, Professor Oak covering his ears in response. He closed his eyes tight in pain, finding it hard to believe such a small girl could have such a loud voice. Kaila barely clocked in at five feet, her bright red hair tied in a ponytail. Her usually joyful blue eyes were wide open in shock, since she obviously didn't know how to deal with the fact her Pokemon of choice was gone.<p>

"I'm sorry, but Jake came here early and took Squirtle. Isn't there another Pokemon you wanted?" Oak asked, Kaila hanging her head in disappointment. Jake always beat her at EVERYTHING! When they were kids, he could always fall asleep faster at nap time. He learned how to ride a bike before her, and now he had started his journey before her! And the one thing that would completely infuriate her, he had done! He took her Squirtle!

"Well, I guess Bulbasaur would be okay.. They can be cute, I guess." She mumbled, all life drained from her. She had really wanted Squirtle.. Professor Oak just shook his head at her before taking another Pokeball off the table, handing it to her. Kaila pressed the button on the front, a small green Pokemon with a large bulb on its back popping out, tilting its head. "Bulba?" It asked, looking up at Kaila with wide, expecting eyes. Kaila was about to curse her life one more time before she noticed something. Something that changed her opinion of Bulbasaur forever. Over one of Bulbasaur's eyes, instead of a normal patch that would be there, was a patch shaped almost exactly like a heart.

"IT'S SO CUTE!" Kaila squealed, picking Bulbasaur up into her arms, burying her head into it. Bulbasaur began to squirm and struggle against her, letting out grunts of disapproval before jumping out of her arms. Kaila blinked when it landed on the ground, glaring up at her. "I don't think that Bulbasaur likes to be cuddled. Its definitely more of a battler." Oak said, Kaila frowning a little before returning Bulbasaur. "Fine, fine, I understand. I wanted to compete in the gym battles anyway." She retorted, Professor Oak smiling to himself. As much as she tried to deny it, Kaila was very much like her father. She was passionate and competitive, but she was very loving as well. It was too bad she never saw that side of her father.

"Professor? Can I get my Poke-dex and Poke-balls now?" Kaila asked, tilting her head up at the Professor. He blinked before shaking his head a few times, walking over to another table in the back of his lab. He picked up a blue Poke-dex, along with five Poke-balls. "Here you go, everything a beginner trainer needs. Do you know which Pokemon you want to catch first?" He asked her, Kaila putting her chin in her hand and thinking.

"Um.. Nope! Guess I'm just gonna wing it, Prof!" She grinned, Professor Oak's only response being a face palm. She was so unprepared for the challenges that came with being a Pokemon trainer, but everyone had to learn in their own way. Besides, maybe a ditz like her could become a good trainer.

"I'll see you later Professor! Thank you for everything you've done for me!" Kaila shouted, bowing to him from the door before running outside. Finally. She was going to be able to leave Pallet Town and start a real journey for herself! She had made up her mind a long time ago. Since her father had become the Pokemon League Champion, he had completely shut her out of his life. So now, she was going to challenge all the gyms, defeat the elite Four, then teach her father a lesson.

However, as soon as she had left Pallet Town, she wasted no time in getting herself lost. She screamed in frustration as she fell over in some grass, holding her head. "How did I get myself this lost so quickly? Viridian City is less than twenty miles from Pallet Town! I've already screwed up my journey this badly!" Bulbasaur somehow managed to pop out of its Poke-ball, looking down at its apparently hopeless trainer. "Bulba?" It said, laying down next to her. Kaila couldn't help but smile before tickling Bulbasaur's belly, it almost purring in delight. She giggled as she kept rubbing Bulbasaur, its eyes closing slowly.

"Kaila? Kaila Joy?" someone said from behind her, Kayla turning over onto her stomach before frowning, "Hello, Jake." Jake smirked at her, his green eyes flashing with arrogance. His curly brown hair fell down over his eyes, his tanned skin seeming even darker in the sunlight. All the girls in the town had always been swooning over him, and Kaila understood why. He was actually a very attractive guy, but that didn't make up for the fact he was a huge jerk. She could never intimidate anyone the way he could, because of her height. She was barely five foot, where as Jake was pushing six, and he never let her forget it.

"So, you chose Bulbasaur?" He asked, her Bulbasaur opening its eyes and looking straight up at Jake. It snorted before turning away from him, burying itself in the grass. Kaila had to snicker, it was nice to see someone else notice what a giant twat Jake was. Jake's eyebrow just twitched before turning back to Kaila, "You should teach your Pokemon some respect for its superiors."

"So, shouldn't you be bowing to Bulbasaur then?" Kaila said, her eyes blinking innocently. He just snorted at her before turning away, "Maybe you shouldn't be making comments like that when you're lost."

"Sh-shut up! I'm not lost!" She snapped, her face flushing from embarrassment. She would never admit to him that she had no idea where she was going, but it couldn't be that hard to find Viridian city, could it?

"Have you even caught another Pokemon yet?" Jake sneered, Kaila's blush only intensifying. Had he already caught his second Pokemon? But how? He had only left a few hours before her! Jake could see that she obviously hadn't so he took it as another opportunity to brag. "Here are my two Pokemon. Squirtle, Cubone, come on out!" He yelled, throwing two Poke-balls up into the air. The first that popped out was the blue turtle Pokemon, Squirtle. It had been the Pokemon that Kaila had wanted, the exact same one actually. The second Pokemon to appear was a small dinosaur shaped Pokemon with a large skull on its head, holding what looked to be an arm bone in its hand.

"If you want to be a good trainer, you have to catch powerful Pokemon. Training them yourself is just a waste of time, you know. This Cubone is the strongest you'll find for miles." Jake said, folding his arms across his chest. Kaila bit her lip before standing up, getting in his face. "How can you say that? Being a trainer is all about raising your Pokemon! You don't just look for the strong ones and throw away the weak, you treat them all the way they should be treated! Like living things, not toys you can just toss aside!"

"Why should I listen to anything you have to say? You haven't caught a single Pokemon yet!"

"So? I'm not going to lose to an over compensating dick weed like you! Give me four months, then we can battle, and I am DEFINITELY going to be a stronger trainer than you can ever dream to be!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"It's a promise!"

"Very well, then. Four months from today, we'll battle. If I win, you have to give up being a Pokemon trainer."

"Fine. But if I win, you have to leave this continent. Forever."

"Deal."

"Deal. Get ready to eat my dust, Jake."


	2. Chapter 2

**Kaila's Current Team: Bulbasaur**

**Ch2: Trouble Maker Poliwag! Problems in Viridian? **

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><p>"Good morning Bulbasaur.." Kaila yawned dreamily, sitting up from the couch. Bulbasaur had been sleeping on the floor, its vines wrapped around it almost like a blanket. I.t stood up slowly, letting out a loud yawn before looking up at its trainer with wide, expecting eyes. She smiled before standing up, stretching out her back slowly. She had managed to find Viridian City the night before, almost three hours after her argument with Jake. It had been nearly midnight when she had found it, so she just ended up falling asleep on the couch as soon as she found one.<p>

"So Bulbasaur, you ready to head for Pewter City?" She asked it, Bulbasaur nodding its head in approval, "Bulba, Bulbasaur!" It grinned, starting to run for the door. Kaila giggled as she watched it, then something hit her. She had no idea what moves Bulbasaur could use, or even how to battle with it. "Hey, Bulbasaur! Come back here!" She yelled, Bulbasaur stopping at the door before looking over its shoulder at her. It huffed before walking to her, looking at her with an impatient look on its face.

"Sorry, little guy, but I just need to check what moves it is you know." Kaila smiled, holding out her Poke-dex. Bulbasaur tilted its head as it was scanned, looking straight into the little light on the Poke-dex. Kaila watched as four moves appeared on the screen: **Tackle, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Energy ball.**

"Wow, you know some pretty powerful moves, Bulbasaur!" Kaila grinned, petting Bulbasaur's head affectionately. Her Pokemon purred in happiness as she did, leaning into her hand, "Bulba..."

It was such a happy moment, no one would expect what would happen next. The windows suddenly exploded and the trainers suddenly began to scream, jets of water shooting into the Pokemon center. Kaila yelped as one hit her right in the center of the face, knocking her onto her butt. More jets of water shot in, Bulbasaur crouching low, taking a battle stance. If Kaila didn't do something soon, all the equipment in the Pokemon center was going to be destroyed, and all the trainer's Pokemon would get hurt because of it. "Bulbasaur, counter all of them with Razor Leaf!" She yelled, Bulbasaur sending a barrage of sharp leaves from its bulb. They slammed into all of the water, breaking the jets apart. Kaila pouted as sprays of water coated her, dampening her hair to her head. As much as she wanted to scream, she had to admit, Bulbasaur was powerful.

"Is everyone okay?" Nurse Joy asked from behind the desk, all the other trainers in the Pokemon center nodding and mumbling. None of them knew quite what had just happened. Nurse Joy sighed sadly before walking out in front of the desk. She began attending to the Pokemon that had been hurt slightly in the blast, but none were too serious. The entire ordeal had terrified Kaila, so much that she could barely move.

"Um, Nurse Joy? What happened?" Kaila heard herself asking, surprised she could find her voice. Nurse Joy looked up at her, turning her attention away from a Drowzee she was checking for injuries. She seemed nervous before standing up, placing a hand on her head. "No matter what I tell people, nothing's going to change.. So don't bother worrying about it."

Kaila frowned at Nurse Joy before looking down at Bulbasaur, "You know, I thought someone who cared about people and Pokemon would want to stop them from being harassed, not be a complete and total coward." She growled, Nurse Joy flinching. That hit her hard. She knew that she was supposed to protect Pokemon, but what was happening to this town was too big for any one trainer to handle.

"Nurse Joy, please. I want to be able to help." Kaila whispered, another voice coming from behind her, a boy's. "I want to help too. No one tries to hurt my Charmander and gets away with it." Kaila turned to see a boy with deep, jet black hair. She flinched at his eyes, a piercing grey which seemed like they would look straight into your soul and pull out your darkest fears. He wore a dark black shirt which stood out against the pale canvas of his skin. Next to him was a dark red Lizard Pokemon with a small flame lit on its tail. "Char!" It snarled, sending a small ball of flame out its mouth.

"Oh, Luke!" The Nurse said, smiling at the boy. Kaila tilted her head before looking over at Luke. his face completely neutral. His Charmander walked over to Bulbasaur, the latter holding a vine out as if to shake hands. Charmander tilted its head before taking it, shaking. Kaila took in Luke's features, jumping when he turned to look at her, "Why are you staring at me?"Kaila felt her face heat up before looking away, mumbling, "N-no reason.."

"Whatever. Nurse Joy, what are we up against?" Luke asked, putting his hands in his pockets. Nurse Joy let out an exasperated sigh, like she was about to tell us something that could get her killed. "There's been a group of Poliwag and Poliwhirl that have been terrorizing us. We once hired someone to try and get rid of them, but his Pokemon were beaten in no time flat. Now, we can't go a single day without them destroying our houses and shops." She said, rubbing her arms nervously. Now Kaila could tell why she had been so scared. If that gang found out that she was bringing outsiders in to fight them, they would probably level the entire Pokemon center.

"Don't worry, we can handle it." Luke said, looking back at Kaila. "This one has a Bulbasaur, and my Magnemite is an electric type. We can take a bunch of water Pokemon easily." He said, Kaila's face heating up again. What if he found out she had just started her journey the day before? Would he still have this kind of confidence in her?

"I hope so.. Good luck you two." Nurse Joy said, the other trainers nodding in agreement. Kaila frowned at the rest of the trainers, "So, with all the trainers in here, only two are about to help an entire town? I've never seen a more pathetic bunch." She growled before walking out the door, Luke following her. Luke watched her storm off, shaking his head.

"Hey, girl. What's your name?" He asked, Kaila turning around to face him. "It's Kaila. And I figured yours is Luke." She replied, Luke just nodding in response. Kaila sighed before walking ahead again. "Look, can we not do the bonding thing? It isn't really the time for it."

"Well, I figured if we were working together, it would help to know a little about each other."

"And knowing my name helps us learn about each other?"

"Well, now I know something about you I didn't know already. So yes."

"Shut up, Luke."

"No thanks."

"Can we just focus on the Poli-gang? This is my first big battle."

"It's the same for me." Kaila was slightly thrown by this. He carried himself with such an air of superiority, she had only figured he had been on his journey for a long time. But maybe not.

"How long have you been travelling?" Kaila asked, keeping her eyes forward. She couldn't look at him again, considering he was what most girls would consider attractive. She didn't have time for romance.

"About a week now. You?"

"I started yesterday."

"Newbie."

"Shut up! You're not much better!"

"How many Pokemon do you have?"

"... One."

"Wow. You are slow."

"SHUT UP!" Kaila fumed, stomping her foot on the ground, her head practically steaming. Why was everyone getting on her case about only having one Pokemon? She was going to catch more at some point, so why did it matter when?

"Hey, look up ahead." Luke said, his voice breaking her out of her rage. She looked up to see a group of three Poliwag, the small tadpole like Pokemon glaring at them. Standing behind them were two Poliwhirl's wearing black leather jackets that seemed to have been custom fit for them. Kaila couldn't help but giggle at how silly they looked. Luke just sent his Magnemite out of its Poke-ball, giving it an order before it even fully appeared, "Thunder wave!" Magnemite shot from its ball, sending wave after wave of yellow energy. All the Poliwag flinched from it, the Poliwhirl just shrugging it off.

"Bulbasaur, use Razor leaf!" Kaila yelled, Bulbasaur jumping forward and sending the leaves at the water Pokemon. They hit hard against the Poliwag, sending them into the air and crashing on to the ground, their eyes swirled.

"Did the other trainer really have that much trouble with them? They seem pretty easy to me." Luke frowned, the two Poliwhirl stepping forward. Kaila had to agree with him, those Poliwag had gone down without much effort. But judging from the Poliwhirl's size, they were going to be a bit more of a challenge.

"Bulbasaur, energy ball!" She ordered, Bulbasaur's body flashing green before forming a large ball of bright energy in its mouth.

"Magnemite, thunderbolt!" Luke said, Magnemite creating a large bolt of electricity around its body. The two Pokemon launched their attacks the same time while the Poliwhirl's took some fighting stance. The large swirls on their stomachs flashed white before sending out two jagged beams. The two beams hit the Energy Ball and thunderbolt, both hanging in the air before exploding outwards.

"What was that?" Kaila yelled, covering her face from the dust and smoke being forced towards them.

"Ice beam! Be careful, these two are on a whole other level than those Poliwag!" Luke yelled back, his magnemite flipping through the air. The Poliwhirls seemed to smirk before jumping forward, their fists glowing a bright red.

"They're using Rock Smash!" Luke yelled, ordering Magnemite to use protect. Magnemite leveled itself out in the air before creating a shield of blue energy around it, the first Poliwhirl bouncing off. Bulbasaur, however, took the full brunt of the Poliwhirl's attack. Bulbasaur bounced a few times on the ground before skidding to a stop, shaking itself off.

"Bulbasaur, I have an idea! Use sleep powder!" Kaila ordered, Bulbasaur shooting a cloud of blue dust out of its bulb. The dust hit both Poliwhirls head on, their eyes drooping before they fell over, snoring loudly. Kaila took this as her chance. She pulled a Poke-ball off her belt before whipping it at one of the Poliwhirls, it smacking the Pokemon on the head. It vanished inside the ball, it landing on the ground and shaking. Kaila chewed on her lip as the ball shook before there was a loud DING.

"Did I do it?" She squeaked, Luke laughing and nodding in response.

"Yeah you did. Congrats, you caught yourself a Poliwhirl." He grinned, Kaila jumping in the air with happiness.

"ALRIGHT! I caught my first Pokemon!" She yelled, sprinting over to the Poke-ball. She picked it up off the ground, kissing the top of it. Bulbasaur began to hop up and down with joy, nuzzling itself against Kaila's leg.

"Poli.." Kaila blinked as she looked down at the other Poliwhirl, Luke leaning over it. He was spraying it with a blue spray bottle, its eyes opening slowly.

"There you go, Poliwhirl. Without your partner, you can't keep this gang going can you? Its time to leave these people alone." Luke whispered, petting it softly. Poliwhirl looked up at him before nodding slowly, standing. Kaila watched in surprise as Poliwhirl took the Poliwag away from the city, heading into a nearby forest.

"I could hear it, you know. Their lake was polluted by some stupid kids from this town." Luke whispered, Kaila raising an eyebrow at him. He could hear Pokemon? How was that even possible? Pokemon couldn't speak. She repeated the thought to him, Luke sighing softly.

"Ever heard of the legend of Viridian Forest? That people born there can heal Pokemon and hear their thoughts?" He asked, Kaila nodding slowly.

"Are you saying you're one of those kids?"

"Yeah, I am. I was living there my entire life until a week ago. I want to make the world a safer place for Pokemon, a day when my healing powers aren't needed anymore."

"That's a really nice dream... Hey... Would you wanna travel with me?"

"Really? I thought you hated me."

"That was before I knew you were a nice guy."

"Well.. Sure, then. I hope we, and our Pokemon, will get along well."

"But I guess I should tell you something.."

"What is it?"

"See, I kinda made a bet with someone.."

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><p><strong>AN: Is this any good? Review with what you think!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Kaila's Current Team: Bulbasaur, Poliwhirl**

**Luke's Current Team: Charmander, Magnemite, Oddish**

**Chapter 3: Pewter City! Jake and Kaila's reunion!  
><strong>

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><p>"Here we are, Pewter City!" Kaila yelled, pumping her hands up into the air. Bulbasaur was standing next to her, hopping up and down happily, shooting leaves into the air. Luke just watched the two of them and he couldn't help but smile. It had been almost a week since the battle with the Poli-gang, in which Luke had been putting Kaila through some harsh training. Before he had started his journey, Luke had lived in the forest with all the forest Pokemon. In doing so, he had learned alot about how Pokemon battle and how to battle with them, explaining his ability to command them so well.<p>

Luke had explained to Kaila exactly how long he and his Pokemon had been together, and everything they had gone through in his childhood. He had met his Charmander when he was five years old, and back then, Charmander was a very temperamental Pokemon. He had never quite figured out what had happened to his Charmander, since it wouldn't let him see that part of its mind, but he had figured out it had been abused by its trainer. Charmander had eventually ran away from its trainer and taken refuge in Viridian Forest, where Luke found it.

Kaila had to say, when she had heard how Luke had spent his whole life close to Pokemon, she had been really jealous. But then she began to feel angry at herself. Not because she was jealous, but because his reason for becoming a trainer was so.. Pure. He was a trainer because of his love of Pokemon, and for the sheer joy of adventure, but Kaila had started her journey based on revenge against her father. Was it really worth it?

She shook her head, clenching her hands tightly. Of course it was worth it! Her father had abandoned her when her Mom had died only a few years before! How could he have done that to her? Just to become the champion! She always found herself fuming whenever she thought about her father, so she tried to keep him out of her mind, but she never could.

"Hey, Kaila? Are we going to see Brock?" Luke asked, frowning at her. He was getting a little sick of her spacing out. He understood that, because she was a girl and all, she always had a lot on her mind but still. She could at least pay attention some of the time, right? Even when they had been training, she had gotten herself hurt a couple times because she had been staring at flowers or something.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure." She stuttered, heading towards the heart of the city. She had seen fliers at the Pokemon center about Brock's open challenge to anyone who wanted to battle, but she wasn't sure if she should just walk in. Brock was a gym leader, so she didn't want to be rude, but at the same time she didn't want to come off as uninterested. She began scratching her head in frustration while Luke just watched her, sweat dropping.

"Why are you getting so work up about this? Just go in and battle. Bulbasaur and Poliwhirl are both psyched for it." He had really only said this for one reason. He could tell when a Pokemon was getting close to its next stage of evolution, one of the perks of being from Viridian. And Bulbasaur was definitely ready. She just needed to pit it against a powerful trainer and pray that it won. If Bulbasaur did win, it would definitely evolve into Ivysaur. Grass types always were faster to evolve.

After about twenty minutes of walking in silence, they could finally see their destination. It was a large oval shaped building with a Pokeball sign on the front, the entire building colored a bland grey. Kaila was severely unimpressed. She had always pictured Gyms as extravagant buildings filled with color and life, but this one just looked.. Dull. Like no one cared anymore. Kaila couldn't even get herself psyched for her battle as she pushed open the doors to the gym, finding herself face to face with the one person in the world she didn't want to see.

"Hello, Jake." She mumbled, the taller boy's eyes staring straight down at her. He had an amused smirk on his face as he saw her expression, placing a hand on her head.

"How's it going, Kay?" He smiled, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Kaila smacked his hand away from her without a second thought before sending a smirk to match his.

"Pretty good. How badly you get your ass kicked? Or did Brock just decide not to bother?" She sneered, Jake just rolling his eyes and pulling out a small black case. He pressed a button on the front, it popping open to show a gray badge sitting in the first slot. Kaila felt her heart sink in her chest. He was still ahead of her, even now. Her heart sunk even lower when she saw a Wartortle step out from behind Jake, its arms folded across its chest.

"Brock was nothing as soon as I used my Wartortle. Type advantage is a wonderful thing to have, and since Rock is weak to so many different kinds of Pokemon, anyone who can't beat this gym doesn't deserve to be a trainer." Jake said, and it was obvious who this comment was meant for. Kaila had just over three and a half months until her battle with Jake, and if she lost, she couldn't be a trainer anymore. She would have to give up her friends and her dream.

"Hey, who's the tool standing behind you?" Jake asked, Kaila standing up straight. She had completely forgotten that Luke was still there, and she turned to see him glaring over at Jake.

"My name's Luke."

"Pleasure to meet you, Luke."

"Bite me, dickweed."

"Where did that come from?"

"You've just made it obvious you're a complete and total douche. Who talks about Pokemon that way?"

"A trainer who knows how the world works."

"Or maybe someone who's so scared of their own weakness they have to hide behind their Pokemon's strength."

"What?"

"Face it, without your Pokemon, you'd be nothing but a braggart. If you actually cared for your Pokemon, maybe I'd understand, but when you're just going on and on about Type Advantage and things like that.. It's pathetic. A good trainer battles with the Pokemon they have and finds a way around Type Advantage."

Kaila giggled as she saw Jake's face turning six different shades of red before storming past them, his Wartortle following in a hurry. She turned to thank Luke, but he just brushed past her and walked inside. She pouted as she watched him before holding her head in her hands. Why was he so.. Difficult? She was trying hard to make friends with him, but he just didn't seem interested.

"Are you coming or not?" He asked from further down the hallway, Kaila frowning before running after him. Hopefully the journey would be worth putting up with this ass.

"So, that was the guy you made the bet with?"

"Yeah, that was Jake. See, I told you he was a jerk."

"He may be a jerk, but he's proved he can raise his Pokemon if he's beaten Brock. Despite what he said, Brock is actually a very Powerful trainer."

"But I have Bulbasaur and Poliwhirl. Won't that put Brock at a disadvantage?"

"Maybe, but remember, Brock is a gym leader. He'll be ready for that kinda thing."

Kaila was about to say something else when Luke pushed open two large doors, showing a large rocky field behind them. Kaila couldn't stop her jaw from dropping as she looked at the sheer size of the arena, fit with stands and doors along the entire length. The entire field was covered with large boulders and sand, stage lights illuminating them.

"Another challenger, huh?" Came a voice from across the room, Kaila tilting her head up to see who it was. Standing on the opposite side of the field was a boy, maybe two years older than Kaila, wearing a large orange vest and camouflage pants. He had his hands folded across his chest, one hand holding a Poke-ball.

"Are you Brock?" Kaila asked, instinctively reaching for her own Poke-ball. The boy nodded in response before clicking the button on his Poke-ball, a 30 foot long Onix taking the field. Kaila's eyes widened at the massive Pokemon, whose roar shook the entire building. Kaila sent out her Bulbasaur, it growling lowly at the huge Pokemon. In terms of size, it definitely seemed like Kaila was going to lose, but she knew her Bulbasaur was strong.

"We'll both use one Pokemon, agreed?" Brock asked, walking up beside his Onix. Kaila could only nod her head slightly in agreement, since her heart was pounding too hard for her to speak. This was it, her first real gym battle. She had to win, she had to show she was just as good as Jake. Luke walked up to the small referee's box along the outside of the field, raising his hands.

"Let the battle begin!"

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><p><strong>AN: Boo-yah! Cliffhanger! xD Alright, review and don't be afraid to criticize where you think necessary! And check out my other stories!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Kaila's Current Team: Bulbasaur, Poliwhirl**

**Luke's Current Team: Charmander, Magnemite, Oddish**

**Chapter 4: A life changing moment!**

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><p>"Onix, double edge!" Brock yelled, the long rock snake Pokemon, slamming its head against Bulbasaur. Kaila could only watch as her partner was flung backwards, crashing hard against the floor. Bulbasaur struggled to get itself back on its feet, only to have Onix send it flying it to wall with a vicious iron tail attack. Bulbasaur seemed to hang in the air for a second before falling to the ground, letting out a loud yelp of pain.<p>

"Bulbasaur!" Kaila screamed, her pokemon forcing itself back up again. She felt her throat close up as she watched Bulbasaur, large purple bruises starting to darken its green skin. Bulbasaur looked back at Kayla, giving her a slight nod and a little smile. Her Pokemon really trusted her.. She could only smile back at Bulbasaur, jabbing a finger forward, "Come on, Bulbasaur! Knock some sense into 'em with Razor leaf!"

Bulbasaur howled with approval before sending a barrage of sharp leaves at Onix, battering it over and over. Onix grunted in pain as it slid away from the main force of the attack, its tail snapping out and wrapping around Bulbasaur. Kaila bit her lip as Onix squeezed down tight on Bulbasaur, the small pokemon whining with pain.

"You see? This is what happens when you don't come up with a strategy and just half ass the battle!" Brock yelled, pointing at Bulbasaur. Kaila kept her eyes on Bulbasaur, smirking slightly as Bulbasaur wiggled its bulb free. That was all she was waiting for.

"Sleep powder!" Kaila yelled, Bulbasaur shooting a burst of blue powder into Onix's face. Onix screamed and dropped Bulbasaur, backing up into the wall. It smashed its head off the roof and fell to the floor, struggling to keep itself awake. Brock watched, his eyes wide before smirking, tossing a berry into Onix's mouth. Onix clamped its mouth around the berry, chewing before swallowing, its eyes snapping wide open.

"Before it gets up, hit it with energy ball!" Kaila yelled, Bulbasaur forming the green ball in its mouth before firing it. Onix swirled and dodged the attack, the ball smashing into the wall and blowing a hole clean through it. "Damn it!"

"Now, use stone edge!" Brock yelled, Onix roaring as a ring of stones appeared around it. It fired them all at Bulbasaur, the smaller Pokemon countering with a razor leaf. The leaves smashed against the stones, breaking them apart and flying through, hitting Onix over and over.

"Keep it up, Bulbasaur! Now, energy ball, one more time!" Kayla yelled, Bulbasaur firing the attack in the midst of all the leaves. Onix took the full brunt of the attacks, being knocked back and forth by the leaves before sent into the wall, it crumbling around it before slumping against the ground. Kaila watched Onix's eyes, to see if they went blank or not.

"Come on Onix! GET UP!" Brock screamed, but Onix just laid there. Brock's eyes went wide, or as wide as they could, while he watched Onix. It was obvious. Onix had lost.

Luke watched the two before holding up his hands, yelling, "Onix is unable to battle! Bulbasaur is the winner!"

YES! Kaila jumped in the air, pumping her fists up. She did it! She had beaten Brock! Now she would get her first gym ba- There was something wrong with Bulbasaur.. Bulbasaur was twitching and whining, its face a bright red. Kaila felt worry rise in her chest as she looked down at Bulbasaur, reaching a hand out. "Bulbasaur? What's wrong?"

Then it began to glow a bright white. Kaila's eyes went wide as her little Bulbasaur began to grow, its bulb spreading out over a bouquet of leaves. Its skin turned a little grayer, the heart shaped patch over its eye growing. Claws grew out a little from its feet, scratching at the ground. The light filled almost the entire room before exploding outwards, an Ivysaur standing in Bulbasaur's place. "Ivy, Ivysaur!"

"Congrats, you've got a gym badge and an Ivysaur in the same day." Kaila heard broke say, handing her the Boulder Badge and a bright blue badge case. Kaila giggled with excitement before taking the badge, placing it inside the case. She had really done it! Her first gym battle and she won! She couldn't stop herself from bouncing up and down, petting her Ivysaur's head. Ivysaur purred lovingly and nuzzled against her hand. Life was finally going well for her.

Then Luke collapsed. He held his head tightly in his hands, screaming loudly with pain. Kaila ran to him, placing her hands on his shoulders to calm his spasms, but they just got worse. He was having a seizure of some sort. She remembered some medical aid training she had gotten from her mom, one of the Nurse Joys. Kaila ripped off her sleeve, stuffing it in Luke's mouth to stop him from biting his tongue. She lifted his head and put him on her lap. She ran her hands through his hair softly, cooing him softly. Luke's arms flailed in the air, hitting Kaila across the face a few times, but she didn't let go.

"Shh.. It's okay, Luke. I'm here for you, don't worry.." She whispered, turning away from his pained expression. She couldn't help it, he was in so much pain.. His eyes were even rolling back in his head. What was happening?

After sitting there for close to twenty minutes, Luke gasped and shot up right out of Kaila's grip. He fell forward, scrambling on the ground before jumping to his feet. His eyes were wild as he looked around, his breathing rough and coming in heavy pants.

"Luke? What happened?" Kaila asked, her voice a soft whisper. Luke turned to face her, his cheeks and forehead coated in sweat before sliding down the wall, gripping his head tightly.

"I heard all of them, all of the Pokemon in pain.. They were being tortured by someone.."

"By someone? By who?"

"His name.. Was Caleb.. He was using a Pokemon to torture them.. Something named Tangy.."

"No.. No, that can't be right!"

"Why not? What's wrong?"

"Caleb.. Is my father.. Tangy is his Tangrowth.."

"What?"

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><p><strong>AN: Lemme know what you guys think! Was the battle too short? Do you not like the characters? If there's anything you gotta say, review! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Kaila's Current Team: Ivysaur, Poliwhirl**

**Luke's Current Team: Charmander, Magnemite, Oddish**

**Chapter 5: Enter Caleb! Father vs. Friend?**

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><p>Two weeks. Two weeks since Kaila had heard that her father was torturing Pokemon. Ever since then, she'd just locked herself up in the Pokemon Center and cried. Luke was getting sick and tired of seeing this. Her father was causing her such pain.. What kind of a father did this to his daughter?<p>

Luke shot up out of his seat next to Kaila's bed, running a hand through the girl's hair. She was asleep now, her red hair in knots, her eyes red from crying. She was finally peaceful after countless nights of waking up screaming. It was killing Luke to watch. She had been there for him, now it was his turn.

He stormed down the stairs, gripping his Charmander's Pokeball tight. He heard Charmander's voice in his head, worried and asking him what was wrong. Luke waited until they got outside before pressing the button on the Pokeball. Charmander popped out of its Pokeball, tilting its head at Luke.

"Listen, Charmander. I wasn't planning on doing this for a long time but.. Things have changed. We need you stronger." Luke said, reaching down and gripping something on the back of Charmander's neck. He pulled it off of his Pokemon, holding a tiny stone in his hands. It was an Everstone. Luke had to admit, he was kind of excited to see how strong his partner would be when he evolved.

Charmander nodded at Luke before it began to glow a bright white. It grew and gained something horn shaped on the back of its head, longer claws growing from its hands. The flame on its tail nearly tripled in size, its skin turning a dark red. The glowing exploded outwards, Luke's brand new Charmeleon shooting a jet of flames into the air, roaring its name loud.

Luke then went through the same process with his other Pokemon. It was weird that his Pokemon could evolve like this after only a month and a half of travelling, but then again, he had lied. He had been training his Pokemon for almost three months before he had met Kaila, but that wasn't important. His real mission had nothing to do with her.

Once the process was over, Luke stood there looking at his new team. Charmeleon, Magneton, and Gloom. They were pretty mismatched, but they would work for what he wanted to do. It was time to teach Caleb a lesson. Of course, Luke didn't know that Caleb was the current Pokemon league champion. He was in for the fight of his life.

And he was ready.

He closed his eyes, trying to listen for anything. Any Pokemon in pain, any mention of the name Caleb. In a city like Pewter, there were a lot of Pokemon and a lot of people. Charmeleon looked up at him, its eyes worried. Luke smiled at his Pokemon, petting its reassuringly before letting out a breath. He couldn't hear anything.. So he didn't sense the man walking up behind him. Caleb.

"You've been looking for me, huh?" Caleb asked, placing a hand on Luke's shoulder. Luke's eyes went wide at the hand on his shoulder, jumping away instantly. The touch had felt so cold, like ice. Caleb was a tall man with stringy brown hair, and the same colour eyes as Kaila. He wore a leather jacket with six Pokeballs attached to it, his pale skin stretched over his bones. He obviously wasn't taking care of himself.

"Yeah, I've been looking for you. What the hell have you been doing to all those Pokemon?" Luke screamed, Charmeleon growling lowly at his side. Caleb smirked at him, shrugging and clicking one of his Pokeballs. Out popped an Alakazam, its mustache waving in the wind.

"Easy. Pokemon in pain tends to bring forth the legendary Birds. And I need them. Alakazam, psybeam!" Caleb yelled, pointing a finger at Luke. Alakazam held its hands out, the tip of its spoons glowing before sending a multicoloured beam towards Luke. The beam hit Luke dead in the chest, lifting him up into the air and shooting him almost thirty feet before hitting the ground hard. Luke skidded on his back before turning, jumping up and landing back on his feet.

"Huh. Not bad, you can take a hit. You've been training hard, haven't you?" Caleb said, tilting his head at Luke. It wasn't often you met someone who could take a hit from a Pokemon, especially an Alakazam.

"I've been training my whole life to fight with Pokemon. In order to do that, I had to train my own body." Luke said, letting out a shaky breath. As much as he was trying to show off, that attack had left him weak. Caleb's Alakazam was strong.. Very strong. "Charmeleon, use flamethrower!" Charmeleon snarled loudly and shot a large tongue of flame towards Alakazam, the heat from it singeing the grass.

"Alakazam, protect!" Alakazam held out its spoons again, forming a bright gold barrier around its body. The flames slammed against it, sending red and orange sparks through the air. Charmeleon charged forward through the flames, already knowing what Luke's next command would be.

"Charmeleon, fire punch!" Charmeleon's hand suddenly covered itself with a thick layer of flames, timing the blow perfectly. It hit Alakazam right between the eyes as soon as the protective barrier fell, knocking the psychic Pokemon down into the dirt.

"You are good. No wonder you beat my Poli-gang." Caleb said, watching Luke. Alakazam stood up slowly, brushing itself off. The attack had barely phased it.

"Wait, you're the one who set the Polis on that town? You nearly destroyed it!"

"That was just to test how powerful my Pokemon were. I had to admit, I was more than disappointed. I thought that they wouldn't have lost to rookie trainers."

"But the townspeople said they hired someone to defeat th-.. You were the one they hired."

"Of course. I couldn't strike fear into them without giving them a show first. I was going to wipe that stupid town off the map. But now my own daughter has one of those Poliwhirls. It surprised me. I never expected her to be strong enough to catch one of them herself."

"Kaila's a lot stronger than you think. She's already gotten her first gym badge. But after hearing about what you've done, she's locked herself in a room! Do you know what you've done to her?"

"That just proves how weak she is. Alakazam! Use shadow ball!"

"Charmeleon, dragon pulse!" Charmeleon roared in response as Alakazam fired a large dark ball from between its hands. A large blue ball formed inside of Charmeleon's mouth before it fired it, the two attacks colliding in mid air and exploding. The explosion threw up a cloud of dust and wind, both Pokemon charging forward after wards.

"Alakazam, psycho cut!"

"Fire punch!" The two attacks collided again, Charmeleon's Fire punch against Alakazam's psycho cut. Alakazam's blade against Charmeleon's fist. Flames and silver sparks crackled from the attacks, the blade extended from Alakazam's spoon creaking from the strain. The two Pokemon stood there, evenly matched. Neither one would give an inch. Then Psycho Cut broke through. The attack hit Charmeleon in the side, launching the reptile Pokemon through the air. Charmeleon hit the branches of a tree hard, snapping through them and landing on the ground with a thump. It picked itself up quick enough though, wiping its mouth and panting hard.

"Charmeleon, are you okay?" Luke asked, his Pokemon grunting in approval before taking its place again. Caleb watched the two, tilting his head a little. How? How could this boy be pushing him so hard? He was the Pokemon League Champion! This boy was a no body!

"Charmeleon, use sunny day!" Luke ordered, Charmeleon firing off a small ball of light into the air. The light burst outwards, covering the entire battle field with heat. IT was obvious what Luke was up to. He was hoping to make his Pokemon's fire attacks stronger. Charmeleon bathed in the sunlight, stretching its arms out wide. "Now, use flame thrower!" Charmeleon roared loudly and fired another blast of flames from its mouth, only this one was much larger.

Caleb was about to order his attack when he saw something that completely took him back. Charmeleon jumped into the flames, sprinting towards Alakazam with his entire body covered in them. What was this kid planning?

"Now, use fire punch!" All the flames were suddenly brought towards Charmeleon's fist as it sprinted forward, dragging its hand along the ground. The flames left a trail of fire along the ground as Charmeleon closed in on Alakazam, teeth bared in a smile.

"Alakazam, use psybeam!" Caleb yelled, his Pokemon firing the multi-coloured beam again. Charmeleon smirked and ducked straight underneath it, closing the last gap of distance between the two of them. The beam flew straight towards Luke, but it was too late to stop the attack.

"Now Charmeleon! End this!" Luke howled, the blazing fist hitting Alakazam in the stomach. The large Pokemon cried out in pain before it was sent flying backwards, past Caleb and into a tree. The tree groaned from the impact before breaking clean in half, Alakazam falling in a slump over it. Luke ducked out of the way of the Psybeam, the attack exploding behind him and kicking up a cloud of dust. The explosion threw him forward a few feet, but he landed completely balanced.

Caleb stood there, eyes wide. Why hadn't he used Protect? He had made such a stupid mistake! Now his Alakazam had lost to this.. This nothing! This little speck of dirt! There was no way he was going to let this match finish so quickly.

"Rhydon! Let's go!" He roared, Alakazam vanishing inside its Pokeball. Taking its place on the field was a Rhydon, its drill like horn spinning violently. It stomped its feet down on the ground, shaking it and knocking Luke off his feet. Rhydon was one of the strongest ground type Pokemon ever. There was no way Charmeleon could take it on.

"Charmeleon, return! Gloom, its your turn!" Charmeleon was quickly replaced with Gloom, the small purple Pokemon drooling. Luke had to admit, as bad of a person Caleb was, this battle was pretty fun. It had been a while since anyone had really made him work. Now, he just had to make sure he could beat this Rhydon.

"Okay, Gloom, use grass knot!" Gloom raised its hands in the air as the grass suddenly sprang to life, wrapping around Rhyudon's feet. The hulking Pokemon roared before falling to the ground hard, shaking it again. Luke had to use moves that would hurt Rhydon with its own weight. Of course, Rhydon was always a powerful Pokemon. He wasn't sure his Gloom could beat it.

"Rhydon, use ice beam!" Rhydon instantly broke free of the grass, firing a jagged white beam from its horn. Gloom yelped in surprise before being hit in the forehead, knocking it on its back after bouncing a few times. Gloom struggled to get back up, only to have Rhydon over it and brings its foot down on its back. A stomp attack was always painful.

"Gloom, turn over and use solarbeam!" Gloom groaned and flipped over, the tip of its flower glowing a bright yellow. Rhydon's eyes went wide before it was hit by the solarbeam point blank. The attack knocked Rhydon onto its back, the ground shaking once again. Gloom began to pant from fatigue as it stood up, wobbling in place. It couldn't take another hit.

The solarbeam didn't keep Rhydon down for long. It stood up quickly, patting itself off. Gloom was no where close to being as strong as Rhydon. Luke could already tell he was going to lose this round.

"Rhydon, use hammer arm!" And that was it. Rhydon's fist slammed down on Gloom's head, slamming the Pokemon into the ground and cracking it. Gloom laid there on the ground, its eyes swirled. Gloom was done, and Luke had lost. Charmeleon and Magneton had no chance against a Rhydon, especially one this powerful.

"Are you done?" Caleb asked as Gloom vanished inside its Pokeball again. Luke bit his lip before nodding slowly, putting gloom's Pokeball back in his pocket. The two stood there in their now destroyed battlefield. Luke had really gotten caught up in this battle. They had done so much damage to the environment around them.. Luke kind of hated himself.

"Oh, looks like we had a viewer." Caleb said, pointing behind Luke. Luke turned around slowly, his eyes widening. Standing on the hill about thirty feet away was Kaila, her face one of disbelief. Had she seen the whole battle? "Looks like that's my que to leave." Caleb smirked, dropping a Pokeball on the ground before releasing a large Fearow from another. He grabbed on to the bird Pokemon's feet before it flew up into the air, "Give her that for me! It's hers anyway!" And he was gone.

Luke walked over to the Pokeball before picking it up, tilting his head. Caleb had one of Kaila's Pokemon? "Luke! Luke, what happened?" Kaila yelled, running over to him. He turned around to face her, watching her. She was still wearing just a night gown, her hair stretched down her back, all wavy. Her cheeks were pink from running, green eyes filled with worry. She was really this concerned for him?

"I went looking for Caleb. He's definitely more than I can handle right now.. But I will get stronger." Luke whispered, handing the Pokeball to Kaila, "Here, he said this was yours. What is it?" Kaila tilted her head before taking the Pokeball, clicking the button. Was it..?

"Dra, dratini!"

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><p><strong>AN: You guys know the drill! Review, Review, Review! :D**


	6. Chapter 6

**Kaila's Current Team: Ivysaur, Poliwhirl, Dratini**

**Luke's Current Team: Charmander, Magnemite, Oddish**

**Chapter 6: Journey through Mt. Moon! Jake in danger?**

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><p>"Ugh, I hate caves!" Kaila grumbled, climbing over a large rock. Luke sighed and gripped his head, tugging on his hair in a desperate attempt to yank it out. Maybe he should rip his ears off instead, so he wouldn't have to hear this. Nothing worse than a prissy girl that can't stand anything dark and wet. It was a real pain in the butt.<p>

"Are you listening to me Luke?" Of course he wasn't. He was too busy admiring the beauty of the cave. It was enthralling and reminded him of home. All the different smells, the sounds of Pokemon in the background, the walls of the cave brought to life by the flickering light of Charmeleon's tail. It made him so nostalgic he wanted to run the other way and go back to Viridian Forest. Of course, he knew that he couldn't. He had to do something first.

"Luke! Hello, earth to Luke!"

"Huh? What?"

"I asked you how much longer! God, the least you could do is listen!"

Silence.

"LUKE!"

"You told me to listen."

"But I asked you a question! You're supposed to answer!"

"Listening doesn't involve talking."

"Ugh! Forget it!" Kaila groaned and stormed off in front of him, feet thumping all the way. Luke snickered as he watched her, shrugging a little to himself. Of course, that was the one plus side to travelling with someone else. You got the chance to annoy the crap out of them and he was definitely doing that with Kaila. She just made it so easy for him! She had probably been one of those popular girls that never got made fun of.

Kaila, on the other hand, was furious. She hated being teased more than anything and Luke never seemed to stop. She didn't know why, but some how she always left herself open for teasing. Ugh, she wanted to just hit him! She couldn't though, of course. After all, he had chased down her dad just to make him pay for making her so upset. She really couldn't understand Luke. At some times he was a perfect gentleman, someone she could actually fall for. Then he would pull a 180 and turn into a complete and total jerk.

Still. She should at least say thank you, right?

"Hey.. Luke?"

"What now?"

"I just.. Well, I wanted to say thank you. For hunting down my dad. I know you went after him because what he did was hurting me so.. Thank you."

"I didn't do it for you."

"Huh?"

"Caleb was torturing Pokemon. I did it for them, not you."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"It's true!"

"Uh-huuuuh~" Kaila said, winking and skipping ahead. She knew how much he wanted to hide it, but she had seen it even in the dim light Charmeleon was giving them. A slight blush on his cheeks as soon as she thanked him, so that was all the reassurance Kaila needed. He so did it for her.

Luke smacked his cheeks a couple times, hoping the blush would go away. He looked down at Charmeleon, who in turn just gave him a smirk and a look that said, "You so like her," Which only made Luke blush more. He swatted at his Pokemon who just jumped out of the way and barked out a few times, probably a laugh. Luke sighed and hung his head, grumbling. Having the ability to read your Pokemon's mind really sucked sometimes, especially if they were making fun of you in their head.

"So, how much further? I wanna get out of this cave and into a nice hot bath!" Kaila asked, stretching her arms out above her head. She would never tell Luke this, but she really did have a problem with caves. She hated the thought of being trapped anywhere dark and cold. She figured she must have claustrophobia or something like that.

"I'm sure there are pools of water somewhere in this cave, why not use one of those?"

"I'm not taking a bath with you around!"

"Why not? It's not like you've got anything to look at."

"E-excuse me?"

"You're a surfboard."

"A-Am not! I have breasts!"

"What size? A? Double A?"

"I'm a C, thank you very much."

"Bra stuffer."

"Jackass."

"Toilet paper boobs."

"GAH! Just don't talk to me!" Kaila yelled, clutching her head with anger. She stomped off once again, her face seventeen different shades of pink. He was such a.. a.. UGH! She wanted to kill him sometimes! Why was she travelling with him anyway?

"Twenty minutes, that's how long until we get out."

"Thank you. All I wanted to know."

"No problem. Duracell."

"Duracell?"

"Yeah, the battery? The Double A one?"

"ASS!"

"Shut up for a second." Luke growled at her, crouching down slightly. Charmeleon was low to the ground and snarling, its claws and teeth at the ready. Kaila bit her lip before crouching down behind Luke, watching his face. All the happiness he got from teasing her was gone, he was completely in battle mode now. Something was definitely coming. Luke would be able to handle it, right? Wait, since when did she rely on Luke? She was a Pokemon trainer too! She could fight!

"I'm sure the voices came from over here." Someone said from around the corner, two shadows growing on the wall. They were adults from the look of it. Kaila held her breath before Luke grabbed her and ducked behind a wall, covering her mouth when she gasped.

"You think they were with the one you fought before?" One of the men asked, slipping out from behind the wall. He was balding and whatever hair he had left was a dark grey. He wore thick rimmed glasses covering his eyes and wore a long white lab coat.

"No, he didn't seem like the kind of person who'd be travelling with others. Come on Alec, hurry up and find them." The other one answered. He was much younger than Alec, with greasy black hair and coal brown eyes. He wore the exact same lab coat, but there was something that stood out about him. A large purple bruise on the side of his face that looked fresh.

Kaila tried to keep her breath calm from the wall they were hiding behind, her face a furious shade of red. Luke had her against the wall, hands on her sides, his chest almost touching hers. Kaila avoided looking at his eyes, the situation was too embarrassing, but she couldn't stop herself from holding onto his shirt. Luke had a much bigger build than her so he could definitely keep her hidden, but she didn't like being this close. She could actually smell him.. He smelled like nature, almost like the rain forest. She kinda liked the smell.. She liked it a lot.

"There's no one here Gustav. Let's go back." Alec said, Gustav nodding and the two went back into the center of the cave. Luke let out a shaky breath of relief, but didn't move for a few minutes, just to make sure they were gone. Then, when he finally pulled away, Kaila bit her lip a little. For some reason, she liked being close to Luke like that.. Oh god, she wasn't starting to like him was she? No, an ass like him? No way! Not possible!

"Come on, it sounds like they have someone hostage.." Luke whispered, looking around the corner. He scanned the area quickly before running forward, Charmeleon taking its place in front of him. Kaila ran after him, taking a Pokeball into her hand. She was ready this time. She was going to fight, no matter what.

The trail led them further down into the cave, closer to the base of Mt. Moon. Every minute the light grew darker and the air got colder. It was getting harder and hard to breathe, but Luke kept running forward. This path was leading them towards the cave exit anyways.

After about ten minutes of running, they finally made their way to a large cavern. Luke ducked down into the shadows with Kaila, Charmeleon staying a few feet away so it wouldn't shine light on them. On the floor below them was a group of scientists, close to thirty of them at least, wearing the exact same outfits as Luke and Gustav. They were each standing at their own little machines, an assortment of Pokemon around them.

Kaila looked around the room quickly, freezing when she saw him. Against the wall, tied up, was Jake. His eye was black and his lip was split, dried blood on his chin. His normally shiny brown hair was matted with dirt and mud, patches of brown covering his white shirt. His Pokemon, Wartortle, Marowak and a new addition Nidorino were knocked out on the floor. Kaila bit her lip gently, feeling sorry for him. She knew how much Jake prided himself on being the best and this would only break his heart. But, at the same time, he needed to be knocked down a few pegs. Not like this though.

Luke blinked when he saw Jake before nodding at Kaila, patting her back gently, "I'm going to use Charmeleon to cause a distraction. Then, when they all chase me out, you get Jake free." He whispered, jumping to his feet and running off. He found a ledge that stretched around the whole cavern and began to edge along it slowly. Charmeleon went around to the other side of the room, both of them stopping about thirty yards from Kaila.

Luke whispered something to Charmeleon, the red reptile opening its mouth and firing a dragon pulse up towards the ceiling. The impact caused a large explosion, chunks of limestone and stalactites falling down on the scientists. They dove out of the way as the rocks pounded against their machines, setting of a series of smaller explosions. Kaila slid into a small opening in the wall, watching as Luke sprinted out of the room. The scientists ran after him, shaking the ground like a stampede.

She waited for a few minutes before slipping back out, running down the slope towards Jake. She skidded to a stop next to him, clutching the ropes that held him. She pulled a small knife from her backpack, slicing the bindings in half.

"Heh.. Look at me, having to be saved by a loser like you.." Jake laughed out, his voice dry and hoarse. He was really in a lot of pain.. She couldn't help but feel bad. She grabbed his arm and shifted it over onto her shoulders.

"Oh shut up. Now let me help you." Kaila grumbled at him, standing up along with him. She nearly buckled under his weight and height, letting out a startled gasp. He was so heavy! What did this boy eat? She began to walk him down a tunnel about twenty feet from them, hoping he wouldn't try and force a conversation. She really didn't feel like chatting with him. Eventually though, her curiosity got the better of her.

"So, what happened?" She asked him, Jake giving her a look out of the corner of his eye. He let out a strained breath, as if the mere act of talking to Kaila left him exhausted. She really wanted to punch him, but she couldn't punch someone who was injured. She could see a large burn on his shoulder and she knew that had come from whatever had happened to him. It looked fresh..

"Well, I came here looking for a Clefairy.. Don't give me that look, those Pokemon hold a lot of power in those tiny bodies. Well, when I got here I couldn't find a single one of them. I spent hours looking around this god damn cave but nothing. So, when I found the scientists in the cavern poking at a group of Clefable so they could figure out what made them work, I jumped in to try and stop it.

"That was when Gustav showed up. The scientists called him The Commodore or something like that. That guy is strong, seriously strong. He brought out an Arcanine and kicked my ass. He even beat Wartortle with it. I didn't stand a chance against him.. Not even a little bit. But after he finished beating the crap out of me they got a phone call from someone. I think his name was Peter or something like that.. Gustav called him their Leader. Then, you and Luke showed up. Good timing too, they were about to kill me."

Kaila chewed on her lip as she brought him to the exit, remembering the look in Gustav's eyes when she had seen it. The look had just been.. Cold. He terrified her just by looking in her direction. To think Jake fought someone like that..

"Look, you get out of here okay? I'm going to go back and look for Luke."

"But-"

"Just do it, you need to heal up. Our battle's in two and a half months, and I don't need you whining about how you couldn't win because you were injured." She snorted, smirking at him. He just smirked back before stepping away, walking towards the exit. He gave her a small wave of his hand for good luck before vanishing, leaving Kaila completely alone. She spun on her heels and ran back into the cave and up the slope again.

"Luke, if you died on me, I swear I'll kill you.."

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><p><strong>AN: You guys know the drill! Review, Review, Review! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Kaila's Current Team: Ivysaur, Poliwhirl, Dratini**

**Luke's Current Team: Charmeleon, Magneton, Gloom**

**Chapter 7: Kaila and Luke vs. Gustav and Alec!**

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><p>"Charmeleon, flamethrower!" Luke yelled, the red lizard firing a jet of flames from its mouth. The attack mowed down whatever Pokemon the scientists had left over, adding them to the pile of knocked out bodies. Luke panted softly before wiping a covering of sweat from his forehead, letting out a soft sigh. "Looks like that's all of them. I really hope Kaila and Jake got out okay.." He mumbled to himself, running a hand down his partner's neck. Charmeleon growled softly in response and put a hand on Luke's arm, as if to tell him everything was okay. Luke nodded and smiled, heading back down into the center of the cave.<p>

"Tut, tut, tut. You wiped them all out. Now, that wasn't very nice of you was it? Viridian boy." Luke heard from just around the corner, tilting his head when Gustav walked out from around it. "They were our precious employees. It's a shame. Now we got to kill them." Gustav sighed heavily, shaking his head. Luke couldn't explain it, but the vibe he was getting from this man was pure.. Evil. Worse than Caleb. This man was terrifying him..

"Kill them? Why?" Luke forced out, trying to keep a composed face. What was important in moments like this was to act calm if you couldn't calm yourself. Just to throw off your opponent, hopefully.

"Because they failed. And we do not accept failure in our organization. Gengar, wipe them out." Gustav ordered, his voice cold as the shadow behind him sprung to life. A Gengar shot out from his shadow and through the air, landing in one of the shadows of a scientist. The scientist instantly jerked, the sound of his neck snapping filling the air. Then he just slumped over onto the ground, all the other scientists breaking out into screams. Luke stared at the body, disbelieving. He had just used a Pokemon to kill. That wasn't right. That wasn't right!

The scientists ran for the exit, completely panicked. Luke could only watch as the wall behind Gustav suddenly exploded, creating a barrier of stone to block the exit. Gustav smirked as more bodies began to fall, his Gengar leaping from shadow to shadow.

"That's it! Charmeleon, use fire punch!" Luke yelled, his Charmeleon launching forward as soon as Gengar jumped from a shadow. Charmeleon's hand burst into flames before driving it hard into Gengar's side, sending the ghost Pokemon crashing onto the stone floor.

"Oh, so you want to fight huh? Okay then, little boy, bring it on!" Gustav snarled, Gengar leaping up to its feet as Charmeleon rushed towards it. Luke bit his lip as the two Pokemon clashed, their attacks blasting through the whole tunnel. The two were yelling attacks at each other, stalactites falling and the walls shaking violently. If they weren't careful, their battle would bring the entire cave crashing down over their heads.

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><p>While Luke's fight was going on, Kaila sprinted hard through the cave, looking around for him. "Luke! Luke, where are you?" She yelled, panic beginning to rise in her throat. What if Luke got hurt? It would be all her fault! She never should have let him run off!<p>

Kaila gripped one of her Pokeballs tight as she ran, freezing when she saw the blocked tunnel. She could hear the faint sounds of a battle from behind it, figuring it had to be Luke. Who else would be battling at a time like this?

"So are you with that boy? The brown haired one?" Alec asked, stepping out from a small indent in the wall next to her. Kaila swallowed nervously before turning to face him, holding her Pokeball tight. If Alec was here, that meant Luke was fighting Gustav. The one who had hurt Jake.. Would he be okay?

"What if I am? You gonna hurt me too?" Kaila spat at him, venom dripping in her voice. Alec just shook his head, taking a Pokeball from off his belt. Kaila stepped backwards nervously, her palms breaking out into a cold sweat. She had never fought anyone in a situation like this before. Battling Brock was different from this. With Brock, there was no real sense of danger. Alec made her afraid though. His eyes were cold and calculating, not a single ounce of emotion in them.

"Kabutops, come on out." Alec ordered, a large fossil like Pokemon with blades instead of hands appearing from its Pokeball. The Kabutops began to make its way towards Kaila, her eyes wide with fear as she began to back away. This Pokemon looked dangerous.. Really, really dangerous. The look in its eyes was.. Horrifying. It had no emotion, just like its master.

"She won't fight. Kabutops, send her flying with brick break." Alec said, his voice completely neutral. Kabutops claw suddenly turned a bright red, the large Pokemon rocketing towards Kaila. She fumbled to hit the button on her Pokeball, trying to press it. Her fingers were shaking too much, she couldn't get a good grip. She ended up dropping the ball, Kabutops' attack hitting home. Kaila cried out in pain before she was sent flying, smashing hard against a wall. She slid down it slowly, the world swirling around her. His Kabutops had attacked her.. It hadn't even cared.. She wasn't meant for fighting like this.

"Once I kill you, I'll find that brat who was with you and kill him too. Unless Gustav does it for me." Alec whispered, grabbing hold of Kaila's brown hair and lifting her up into the air. She squeaked out a cry of pain, hitting Alec's hand over and over. He was going to kill Luke? No, no that wasn't going to happen. She couldn't let it. She swung her foot down to the Pokeball on the ground, kicking the button.

"Bring it on you asshole! Poliwhirl, rock smash!" She ordered, her Pokemon punching Alec hard in the stomach. His eyes went wide with pain before he was thrown backwards, Kaila landing back on the ground with a thud. Poliwhirl looked back at her, eyes narrowed before nodding. It was ready to fight, and so was she.

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><p>"Gengar, shadow punch!" Gustav yelled, covering up his swollen cheek. Gengar's fist shot outwards, hitting Charmeleon hard in the gut. Charmeleon let out a breath of pain, taking a few steps backwards. Luke was holding his shoulder, panting hard as he tried to ignore the cut over his eye. This fight was dangerous. Extremely dangerous.<p>

So why was he enjoying it so much? His heart was racing and he couldn't fight the smile on his face. As much as he tried to deny it, he loved these kinds of battles. The battles that really made you fight for your life. He was a true battle junkie, through and through.

"Charmeleon, dragon pulse, now!" Charmeleon shot forward, firing off the blue ball of energy. Gengar span around the attack, its mouth in a wider grin than usual as it landed down on the ground. It launched another shadow punch, this one hitting Charmeleon hard in the jaw. Charmeleon crashed against the wall, falling to the floor.

"Charmeleon! Are you okay?" Luke yelled, running over to his Pokemon. Charmeleon forced itself up again, letting out short pained pants. As much as Luke wanted to stop, to just get out of there and run for his life, he couldn't. He was having too much fun with this battle.

"It's invigorating, isn't it? Fighting like this?" Gustav asked, Luke biting his lip slightly. He didn't want to agree, but he couldn't argue either. All he could do was stare at him. "Of course, you won't admit it. You have this delusion that you're the good guy, the protector of Pokemon. But in truth, you're exactly the same as me. Isn't that right Luke?"

"What? How.. How do you know my name?" Luke whispered, his eyes wide. He had never met this man before today.. How did he know? How did he know?

"Your brother's name is Peter, right?" Gustav asked, putting a hand under Luke's chin. Luke's stared at him, trying to figure out how he knew his brother. How? Why would his brother be involved in something like this? "Your brother is our leader, you poor, poor boy."

"What? No. No, you're lying! I know you're lying!" Luke yelled, grabbing Gustav by the shirt. He pushed the man onto his back, pinning him down with his knees. Gustav snarled and pushed upwards, headbutting Luke in the center of his forehead. Luke howled with pain and fell backwards, clutching it in pain.

"Why would I lie about something like that? Peter is our leader, and he is the one who will control the legendary Pokemon!"

"HYDRO PUMP!" Luke blinked and turned around, staring at the makeshift wall. The boulders shook violently before a huge torrent of water blasted through it, Kabutops and falling through it. Luke's eyes went wide before dodging a falling rock, rolling on his shoulder.

"Luke, are you okay?" Kaila yelled, jumping through the hole and over to Luke. Luke stared at her with wonder before nodding and pushing himself up to his feet. "Come on, we gotta go," Kayla ordered, grabbing his hand and sprinting through the hole.

"But they're just going to follow us!" Luke protested, but Kaila already had it covered. She yelled for her Poliwhirl to block the hole with a cover of ice, the rotund Pokemon firing its ice beam towards the wreckage. A thick layer grew over the boulders, completely sealing off the two halves of the hallway.

"That should give us enough time to get out of here." Kaila whispered, sprinting through the rest of the cave. She didn't let go of Luke's hand the entire time until they reached the exit, their fingers linked. Kaila blushed before letting go of his hand slowly, looking away from him, "Th-that was just for easier mobility.." She mumbled, face red from embarrassment.

"Thanks.. For getting me out of there. I would have been screwed if it wasn't for you." Luke whispered, Kaila grinning and patting his shoulder.

"Don't mention it! Now come on, we've gotta get to Cerulean city. I still need a bath." Kaila smiled, running off ahead of him. Luke couldn't fight the smile that spread across his face as he watched her, but he could still remember Gustav's words in his head.

_Your brother is our leader, you poor, poor boy._ Luke shook his head quickly, forcing the voice from his head. He couldn't let that get to him. There was no way his brother would be involved in something like this. Not a chance. He ran quickly after Kaila, focusing on the road ahead. The road ahead with her.

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><p><strong>AN: So, this chapter wasn't as battle oriented as I hoped it would be, but it wasn't really about that. What do you guys think about Luke's brother being the villain? Good or bad? REVIEW! :D**


	8. Chapter 8

**Kaila's Current Team: Ivysaur, Poliwhirl, Dratini**

**Luke's Current Team: Charmeleon, Magneton, Gloom**

**Chapter 8: Arrival in Cerulean City! New Rival?**

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><p>"Poliwhirl, ice beam!" Kaila yelled, her plump blue Pokemon firing a jagged white beam at its opponent, a large Beedrill. The buzzing Pokemon was knocked onto its back, eyes swirled as Kaila gave Poliwhirl a high five. Kaila had decided to take then challenge of the Cerulean Bridge while Luke was recovering from their battle in Mount Moon, so this was a good chance to train before her battle with Misty. Battling with Brock had been tough, and she had heard Misty was on a whole other level than Brock. She needed the training.<p>

So far, she had beaten four of the six bridge trainers, only using her Poliwhirl. She had made an oath to battle just with one Pokemon, and her Poliwhirl was the one that needed the most training. After all, it couldn't be evolved through regular ways so she wanted it as powerful as possible when she did decide to evolve it.

Something was wrong with Luke lately though. It had been two days since the battle in Mount Moon, yet he was so.. Out of it. It was like he didn't want to talk to anybody. All he did was spend every day grooming his Pokemon, staring at the wall. It was actually pretty worrying. She wished there was something she could do to help, but he wasn't letting her in.

So this was all she could do. All she could do was battle to keep her mind off of Luke. It wasn't working, of course, since she was thinking about him right now.

"Poli! Poliwhirl!" Poliwhirl yelled happily, bouncing up and down in a circle. Kaila giggled as she watched her Pokemon, petting it affectionately between the eyes.

"You're doing great, Poli! Just two more battles and we're through!" She said, a sweet tone to her voice. She kept petting Poliwhirl before standing as she saw her next opponent walking towards her. "Okay Poli, lets go! We gotta win this!"

And win she did. Kaila and Poliwhirl blew the last two trainers away easily. Watching her Poliwhirl battle, she had to admit, it was really powerful. Hydro pump, ice beam, rock smash and hypnosis all made for a very bad ass Pokemon.

"Wow, you're pretty awesome!" A boy said from a little ways past the bridge, clapping as he walked to her. He had short, red hair that was covered up by a cap, blue eyes sparkling with wonder as he watched her. There was a dog sized yellow Pokemon standing next to him, which Kaila instantly recognized to be a Jolteon. Kaila watched the boy as he drew closer, blushing a little. He was really good looking.. Okay, what was going on? First Jake, then Luke, now this kid? How many models was she going to meet?

"Thanks. Have you been watching me the whole time?" She asked him, folding her arms over her chest. She had to look serious, like she didn't care how good he looked. Which, sadly, was very good.

"Eh, maybe a little bit, but I always come to watch the battles that happen here. There was this kid Red that I watched when I was about 8, now THAT was a battler. He took down all the trainers on this bridge in six minutes, one minute each. It was incredible! He's what made me decide to be a trainer!" He said, his eyes going off into some memory that Kaila didn't care to ask about.

"None of them were that tough anyway." Kaila frowned, looking around at the bridge. The trainer's had all packed up and gone to the Pokemon center by now. They hadn't been that great of training.. None of them were as tough as Brock. Kinda disappointing.

"If you're looking for a challenge, why not battle me?" He asked Kaila, flashing her a quick smile. The smile made her face turn red, quickly averting her eyes from him. Why was he making her so nervous? Oh god, no not this guy. She couldn't have already fallen for him! They'd barely said two words to each other. He was really cute though.

"The name's Oliver. Wanna do a two on two battle?" Oliver held his hand out to her to shake, which she took and smiled sheepishly.

"I'm Kaila, it's nice to meet you. Two on two it is." She agreed, returning her Poliwhirl. She had the feeling he was going to use something powerful against water types.  
>"Ivysaur, you're up!" And out came here partner, already crouched low to fight.<p>

"An Ivysaur huh? Don't see one of those that often.. Okay then, come on out Lapras!" The large Pokemon appeared in the water, blue head tilted back as it let out a roar. Kaila couldn't believe her eyes.. Oliver had a Lapras! That was one of the rarest Pokemon in Kanto! How had he found one?

"Lapras, sheer cold!" It was over then and there. A huge blast of cold air flew out from every inch of Lapras' body, hitting the grass type Pokemon like three tons of bricks. Ivysaur flew back past Kala as icicles grew where ever the attack touched, forcing the girl to cover herself with her arms. This Pokemon was ridiculously tough! How could..?

Kaila turned to look at Ivysaur, who was knocked out about thirty feet behind her, its eyes swirled like whirlpools. Kaila could see her own frosty each time she let one out, eyes wide. Oliver and his Lapras stood there, looking as intimidating as God's own fury. Kaila chewed on her lip a little, her mind spinning. Using Poliwhirl was risky, considering how much it had battled today.. Okay.

"Ivysaur, return. Dratini, you're up!" Kaila called, the small blue Pokemon taking the place of Ivysaur, calling its name with excitement. Oliver blinked at the tiny Pokemon before shaking his head, laughing loudly.

"You're using a dragon type against my Lapras? Did you not see that sheer cold attack? Your Dratini won't last two seconds!" He snickered, shaking his head over and over. Kaila frowned at him, folding her arms over his chest. He thought he was that much better than her? She was going to prove him wrong.

"Dratini, thunderbolt!" Kaila called out, Dratini glowing a bright yellow before a huge bolt of lightning shot out from its tiny body. Lapras was hit dead on, electricity rippling through the water as the large aquatic Pokemon cried out in pain. Dratini kept bouncing around, calling its name with pride. Kaila couldn't believe her eyes.. Her Dratini had alot of power stored up in that tiny body!

Lapras shook off the attack and narrowed its eyes at Dratini, Oliver smirking at his Pokemon's expression. It had been awhile since he had seen Lapras this excited for a fight. He was going to make the most of it. "Lapras, sheer cold again!" Lapras roared, getting ready for the attack.. And nothing happened. Sheer Cold rarely hits as it is, using the move twice in a row just wasn't smart.

Kaila felt herself smile at Oliver's reaction, ordering her Dratini to use another thunderbolt attack. The attack hit just as hard as the last, lighting up the water like it a spotlight. Lapras roared with pain before slumping over in the water, Oliver frowning and returning his large Pokemon. Dratini jumped in the air in excitement, crying its name loudly..

And then it evolved. Right then and there. Its luminescence covered the whole battlefield, Kaila having to cover her eyes it was so bright. Her heart was pounding with excitement as she watched the tiny Dratini evolve into the majestic Dragonair, spinning in the air slowly. It shot a blue ball of energy up into the air, a Dragon Pulse by the looks of it, splitting the clouds. The Dragon Pokemon drifted down slowly, resting its head gently on Kaila's shoulder.

She began petting its head slowly, smiling when it nuzzled her cheek gently. She had a Dragonair, a Poliwhirl, and an Ivysaur.. Her team was starting to look pretty formidable. She still needed to catch some more of them though.

"Wow, you're pretty lucky you know. Not alot of people even get to see a Dragonair, let alone train one." Oliver praised, smiling as he walked over to her, "I think our battle's done for today. None of my Pokemon have enough power to take on a Dragonair, other than Lapras."

Kaila smiled at him before nodding shyly, doing her best not to stutter when she spoke, "Thanks.. Dragonair is definitely the strongest Pokemon I have on me right now but I'm going to work on my others too."

"You know something? I think I might want to battle you again someday.. It'll be nice to battle Caleb's daughter at full strength." That stopped Kaila cold. How did he know who her father was? Was this all a trap of some kind? What was happening?

"How do you know my Father?" She asked, instantly getting onto the defensive.

"He taught me how to battle back when I was younger. I remember him telling me about his daughter Kaila that loved Pokemon." Oliver said, frowning a little at Kaila. He seemed kind of offended..

"Oh.. Sorry, sorry. My dad isn't exactly the greatest, and he attacked me and my friend the other day.."

"He attacked you?"

"Well, my friend Luke anyway. I saw them battling from a while away.. and it was like two league champions were battling. I had no idea Luke was that powerful.."

"Luke? Is he from Viridian?"

"Uh.. Yeah, he is. Why?"

"I met his brother once.."

"Luke has a brother?"

"Yeah, his name is Peter.. He's probably the strongest trainer I've ever met. Stronger than Caleb."

"Stronger than my dad..?" Kaila whispered, trying to picture it. How could someone be stronger than the Pokemon League champion without fighting him? It seemed to weird. Too impossible. It probably wasn't even the same Luke anyway. "Look, I gotta go.. Maybe we could battle again sometime!" And she left without saying another word to him, trying to sort through the thoughts that were buzzing like a swarm of angry Beedrill inside her head.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, so I know its been awhile since I last updated this story, but I've been focusing alot on some others I've been writing. I'm going to do my best to keep everything updated as best I can, but my most recent story takes top priority. Remember, review, review, review! They make me happy. :D**


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